Classic Whisky

Tour Summary

• Explore Edinburgh -

  Edinburgh is a compact city and easy to explore on foot. We provide directions for 3 walking routes that show you different sides of the Capital city; a walk down the historical Royal Mile, a riverside path to the Botanic Gardens that escapes the hustle & bustle of city life and a more energetic hike to Arthur’s Seat with the option to continue to a pub with lots of history.

  To get into the spirit of your Whisky tour,  we steer you to a selection of our favourite traditional Edinburgh pubs where you can drink in the atmosphere and enjoy some good Malts. 

  The guide also includes options for day trips around the surrounding area by car, bus or train.

  The day trips by car take you to West Lothian where you can visit many of the sites used in the filming of “Outlander” and to East Lothian where you can visit some spectacular castle ruins, a whisky distillery, pretty villages and embark on boat trips to Bass Rock.

  Stopover in Edinburgh

• Edinburgh to Pitlochry -

  This route allows you time to spend a full afternoon in the Pitlochry area where there are 3 distilleries to be discovered.

  Heading north from Edinburgh, you cross the Forth estuary with views of the famous Forth Rail Bridge. You then speed north to Perth, but can extend the drive with a visit to the pretty village of Falkland with its beautiful palace that was a favourite country retreat of Mary Queen of Scots.

  From Perth to Pitlochry, we suggest a quiet back road route that visits Scone Palace, the ancient crowning place of Scottish Kings, and the romantic ruins of Dunkeld Cathedral beside the River Tay.

  If you stay in Pitlochry or Aberfeldy, you can park up your car and walk to the nearest distillery to take full advantage of a good whisky tasting session. 

  Driving Distance ~ 81 miles

  Short tours around Pitlochry: If you arrive early in Pitlochry, or wish to stay for several nights, you will enjoy the 2 short tour options supplied in this guide. These tours cover the grand Blair castle as well as less well known places such as a deserted Blackhouse village, a 2000 year old tree and a stone circle that most tourists miss.

  Stopover in Pitlochry / Aberfeldy area

• Pitlochry to Royal Deeside -

  You could start this day with a visit to nearby Blair Castle as the drive to Braemar and Royal Deeside does not take very long. On the way to Braemar, you follow the path of an 18th century military road that was built through Glen Shee to enable the deployment of Redcoat troops into the “Jacobite” heartlands.

  After a visit to Braemar, you can continue to explore the quaint villages, verdant woodlands and wild mountains that Queen Victoria fell in love with. Balmoral castle is one of the attractions that you can visit in this area, but there are many more great castles to be discovered in this region.

  Of course, this is a whisky tour of Scotland so you can get today's whisky tasting at the Royal Lochnagar distillery that supplies the Royal family during their visits to Balmoral Castle.

  Driving Distance ~ 56 miles

  Stopover in Royal Deeside area

• Royal Deeside to Speyside -

  Today you traverse the Cairngorm mountains via one of the highest roads in Scotland. It is not far to drive so you have time to schedule a day exploring the Speyside Whisky Trail.

  Some of the famous distilleries on this leg of your Scottish whisky tour are Glenlivet, Glenfarclas, Aberlour, Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Macallan.

  If you want a break from whisky tastings, you may enjoy a visit to Elgin with its magnificent cathedral and cashmere mill. We also give you tips on the best bars for continuing your whisky sampling into the evening.

  Driving Distance ~ 52 miles

  Stopover in Craigellachie / Elgin area

• Speyside to Inverness -

  You can continue your Scottish whisky tour with visits to the distilleries of Glen Grant, Glen Moray and Benromach, but today's route also features places of historical importance that are worth exploring.

  You can discover Cawdor Castle with its curious legends, the spooky burial tombs at Clava Cairns, the imposing defences of Fort George and the windswept battlefield of Culloden Moor.

  The day ends in lively Inverness or the quieter villages of the nearby Black Isle. If you visit the Black Isle, we can tell you where to find a bar with over 200 "expressions" of Malt whisky on offer, including some incredibly rare bottlings.

  Driving Distance ~ 57 miles

  Stopover in Inverness area .

• Day Trips from Inverness -

  Inverness is a great touring base for exploring the Highlands and we supply you with directions for a range of day trips:

  • Black Isle - A short tour of the Black Isle where you can visit a carefully preserved 18th century village and embark on boat trips to see wild dolphins.
  • Glen Affric - A scenic drive into Glen Affric where you can see the last remains of the Ancient Caledonian Forest. This route includes options to explore a Neolithic burial chamber, a hidden Clan graveyard and a 150 foot high waterfall in a lovely woodland setting.
  • Loch Ness – We guide you past Loch Ness on the drive to Skye, but this day trip does a complete circular tour of the loch with time to take a cruise, visit the “Nessie” exhibitions and wander the ruins of Urquhart castle.
  • Dunrobin Castle - A day trip up the east coast to the spectacular Dunrobin Castle, which has all the opulence of a French chateau. You can return via a longer route that features a visit to cascades where you might see wild salmon leaping upstream.

  Stopover in Inverness area

• Inverness to Skye -

  Starting with a drive along the shores of Loch Ness towards Urquhart Castle (where you may wish to join a loch cruise), you then turn westwards to the wilderness of Wester Ross and the mountains of Kintail. The route passes the distinctive Eilean Donan castle on the way to the Skye Bridge, but you may wish to include a detour to see one of Scotland’s prettiest villages before crossing into Skye.

  If you need a whisky fix, you could head to Talisker Distillery or the recently opened Torabhaig Distillery, but we recommend you schedule a 2 night stopover on Skye so there is time to do other sightseeing activities on this day.

  Driving Distance ~ 115 miles

  Stopover on Skye or the nearby Lochalsh area

• Day Trips around Skye & Lochalsh -

  Skye is a large island with many of the places of interest located along dead end single track roads. As a result, you are limited in how much you can cover in a day and you need to schedule at least a 2 night stopover.

  • Explore Skye - We provide directions for a tour that includes the famous scenic landmarks of Skye as well as Dunvegan Castle, Talisker Distillery, craft shops, tearooms, pubs and walks. More than enough to fill 2 whole days on Skye. ~138 miles
  • Alternative Day Trip around Loch Alsh & Loch Hourn - Skye can be a very busy place so we also provide directions for a tour around this quieter area where you can take in one of our favourite viewpoints, soak up the atmosphere at mysterious Iron Age Brochs, or enjoy a cup of coffee in one of the remotest tearooms in Scotland. You can return to Skye via a tiny car ferry that operates from Easter – October.

  Stopover in Skye & Lochalsh area

• Skye to Oban -

  Today we guide you down the west coast to the lively town of Oban. We would recommend leaving Skye on the Mallaig ferry, but also provide you with directions for taking an inland route via the Skye bridge.

  If taking the Mallaig ferry, you can explore the beautiful “Silver Sands” of the Morar beaches which look quite Tropical on sunny days. You follow the “Road to the Isles” which takes you to Glenfinnan, where Bonnie Prince Charlie’s army of Jacobites first rallied in 1745. However, most people come here to see the railway viaduct made famous by “Harry Potter” and you might see the steam train (Apr – Oct). We also guide you to some less obvious film locations.

  Both the ferry and bridge routes converge near Glen Coe and you may wish to detour into the glen for a photo stop before starting on the last journey leg down the Argyll coast. This is an area with a rich history and our guide gives details of some of its infamous characters and events.

  The day ends in Oban where you can indulge in a whisky tasting session at Oban Distillery followed by a memorable dinner in one of the town’s great choice of seafood restaurants.

  Driving Distance ~ 87 miles (plus a ~40 minute ferry crossing) – Mallaig to Oban

  Driving Distance ~ 120 miles – Skye Bridge to Oban

  Stopover in Oban Area.

• Oban to Glasgow / Edinburgh -

  We provide 2 route options for the drive back to Glasgow or Edinburgh.

  • The longer route takes you through Glen Coe with its dramatic scenery and tragic history of the massacre of the MacDonalds. After Glen Coe, you cross the wild and timeless expanse of Rannoch Moor on your way back to the cities.
  • The direct route option guides you inland past Loch Awe, Scotland longest loch. Along the way, you can stop at a smokehouse to buy some local delicacies for a picnic beside the ruins of Kilchurn Castle.

  If heading to Glasgow, you travel down the length of Loch Lomond with opportunities for a loch cruise and a visit to a 300 yr old Inn where you might meet aone of the resident ghosts who has a favourite seat in the bar.

  Driving Distances: Direct ~90 miles  /  Via Glen Coe ~118 miles to Glasgow

  If returning to Edinburgh, you drive through the Trossachs National Park with opportunities for a photo stop at the Falls of Dochart and / or  a visit to the grave of "Rob Roy". You continue back towards Stirling and then join the motorway for a fast drive back to the Capital.

  Driving Distances: Direct ~117 miles  /  Via Glen Coe ~145 miles to Edinburgh

  Stopover in Glasgow or Edinburgh.